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Drain Power
| rarity = Uncommon | type = Instant | casting_cost = | research_cost = | effects = The targeted rival wizard loses between and , or as much as that wizard has left in his/her Mana pool (whichever is less). }} Drain Power is an Uncommon Instant Spell belonging to the realm. It may only be cast on the overland map, and must be targeted at one of the rival wizards with whom you already have diplomatic contact. For the base Casting Cost of the spell will reduce that wizard's Mana Pool by a random amount of Mana between and . If the targeted wizard has fewer than this much Mana in his/her pool, that wizard loses all of his/her Mana. Effects Drain Power loosens the magical bonds that a wizard uses to store excess magical energy ( ), causing that Mana to escape. This reduces the available Mana that wizard could use to in order to cast spells and/or maintain his/her existing spells. Mana Loss When Drain Power is targeted at a rival wizard, the game rolls a random number between 50 and 150. The targeted wizard then loses an amount of equal to the random number - i.e. between and . Drain Power cannot reduce a wizard's Mana Pool to below . Therefore, if the rolled random number is higher than the amount of Mana in the targeted wizard's pool, that wizard will simply lose all Mana he or she had in store. If the targeted wizard has no in his or her pool, then nothing is lost and the Drain Power spell fizzles harmlessly - wasting its own Casting Cost. As a result of Mana loss, the targeted wizard might now have problems casting new spells, and/or paying the Upkeep Costs for existing Enchantments or Fantastic Units. This is especially true if the wizard's Mana Pool has been emptied by Drain Power. Usage Drain Power may only be cast on the overland map, for a basic Casting Cost of . Drain Power must be targeted at a known rival wizard - i.e. any wizard with whom diplomatic contact has already been established, or at least will be established as soon as the turn ends. If no living wizards are known when Drain Power is selected for casting, the game will warn you of this to dissuade you from casting the spell. If Drain Power is actually cast when no living wizards are known, it will fizzle automatically with an on-screen error message, wasting the spell's Casting Cost. If the spell is cast legally, the game will display a menu containing the portraits of all known rivals. Their disposition towards the player's wizard is noted below their portraits, making it easier to figure out which target is best. Furthermore, right-clicking on any portrait in this menu will display a Mirror screen for that wizard, which includes amongst other things the size of their current pool, thus indicating whether this wizard makes a good target for Drain Power. Wizards with in their pool should not be targeted, and wizards with less than in their pool are usually not good targets for this spell either. Once a target wizard's portrait is selected, his/her portrait will be covered with blue sparkles, while a caption at the top of the menu shows how much that wizard lost due to the spell. Acquisition As an Uncommon spell, Drain Power may become available to any Wizard who possesses at least one Spellbook. However, its availability during the game is almost never guaranteed. Customized Wizards possessing Spellbooks at creation time may choose this spell as one of their default spells before starting the game, in which case the spell will already be researched and available for casting immediately on the first turn. Wizards who possess at least Spellbooks, or Wizards with Spellbooks who did not select Drain Power as a guaranteed spell, will be able to Research this spell at some point during their campaign. Wizards with fewer than Spellbooks have a random chance of being able to Research it. The chance for this spell to appear increases with the number of Spellbooks the Wizard possesses or obtains during gameplay. Drain Power has a base Research Cost of . With at least Spellbook, the Drain Power spell may be acquired as a reward for winning encounters in creature Lairs, Towers, et cetera, or when conquering the Fortress of a rival wizard who has already researched this spell. Strategy Drain Power is a bit of a tricky spell. On the one hand, it causes an enemy wizard to lose , thwarting that wizard's spell-casting efforts. On the other, Drain Power itself costs to cast, so both the caster and his target end up losing over the affair. Therefore, the success of this spell is measured by the ratio between Mana paid for Drain Power, and Mana drained by it from the enemy. For this reason it is very important to check all rivals' Mana Pools before even selecting this spell for casting. Their pools are clearly visible when right-clicking their portraits in the Magic menu. You'll want to target a wizard that has at least in their pool to ensure that Drain Power can manifest its highest potential - though draining exactly is still rare. Drain Power can also be used pre-emptively before going into battle with one of the rival wizard's armies. If you can drain that wizard's entire Mana pool, he/she will not be able to cast any spells during the battle - thus reducing risk to your units. This is especially useful when fighting wizards using high-end spells. Of course it should be noted that on higher difficulty settings, rival wizards tend to accumulate massive quantities of which is unlikely to be completely drained at any stage. Category:Instant Spells Category:Death